Recognition Dawning
by AuroraRose12
Summary: Halloween night, Dawn gets the suprise of her life when a leathered figure strides back into her life
1. Chapter 1

Recognition Dawning

By: Corrie Ranae

Four years. One. Two. Three. Four. Forty-eight long months of silence. Times change, but some things do not. Some things can sneak up on you when you least expect it to happen. One day you wake up, blow half of California off the map and then lose a companion of the crusade against Hellmouth and the Apocalypse. With the loss you can't quite breathe even though you don't know why. Your heart can't understand why you will it to beat from one moment to the next. Even your brain fuzzes every time you try and work out the details that really happened. _Yeah he's gone, so what, he saved us all in his last moments so that we could all get away. _

But Buffy was with him, Buffy got to look into his eyes and say 'good-bye'…but I didn't. I was pilled into the bus with bleeding girls, shot principals, and nothing but fragments of a speech about filleting up the one person I would give anything to see again.

I found out later that he had fallen in order for us to live. In order for Buffy to live. There was a difference. This, for a reason I didn't understand at the time, I felt as keenly as a white-hot knife twisting in my heart. I resented the fact that Buffy was with him when he decided to play bloody-fanged-champion and save us. I didn't get to say good-bye. I never thanked him for those long nights for 'baby-sitting' me and kicking the cramp of whatever monster I so enthusiastically awoke from its hibernation. And for all the times shear dumb-luck saved me –he never laughed at me. He was my faithful shadow; and since I found out that he was suddenly gone, I felt as if I had no shadow. Sometimes, I catch myself staring at the tall curved silhouette and expect that at any moment he will step out from it and squeeze me into a vice-like hug that only Spike can give. Damn him for being so first-class.

And now, four years later. One. Two. Three. Four.

Spike shows up on our doorstep right on the edge of Oxford. Of all places in this world where he would be…Buffy's and my apartment!

The day began as a normal dreary English Halloween with a bowl of fruit and a piece of buttered toast. Buffy had decided to go into work with Giles early and would be leaving me to enjoy the day off from school alone.

"I'll be at the office 'til tea and then I'll be home. Don't go getting yourself into any trouble now Dawnie."

"Where's the fun in that? Oh alright, alright. I'll be an angel and clean the house for tonight." She smiled and hugged me while I held the door open for her.

"Oh Buffy, don't forget about the decorations."

"I won't. I'll try and pick up another pumpkin or two. See ya." She waved.

"Have a good day, Buff!" and then she pealed off from the curb and was gone.

I finished breakfast but decided that I didn't want to read the paper seeing as how it would only depress my already depressed life even more. So I rolled it up and tossed it into the waste-can and headed for the laundry room to do a load before the party tonight.

Most of the day I cleaned. First the kitchen, then the bathrooms, and then the living room. We had a great apartment considering only two people lived there. Okay okay; it was more like a house than anything else, but on the bill it always stated 'Apartment'. So therefore, it was an apartment. (I always won that argument with Buffy) So, our 'apartment' consisted of one roomy living room, a well stocked kitchen, and three bedrooms. Well, two really, if you wanted to get technical. There was a master bedroom on the first floor past the downstairs bathroom and laundry. That was Buffy's room since she had 'other people' sometimes come over. Not that I minded too much as long as I didn't have to cram for a History final or anything like that. Then we had a guest room on up the stairs and a bathroom that connected with it as well as a small walk-out porch with the flowers that Buffy had insisted on keeping. Then, up a cramped little flight of stairs was my domain. It was technically an attic, but it was pretty-darn huge for just an attic. I had decorated it as best I could for all the time I had. Mostly when I had gotten bored I whipped out my trusty paints and doodled (of one could call it that) on the bare slats for hours at a time. I had a lot of small pictures and scenes from my life. Most were from the books I read, but there was a small out of the way section that was behind an old wardrobe where I painted portraits of people I knew and loved. The first one was of mom, Buffy, and me from a picture I had of us. The next was of Tara and Willow and they were leaning on one another and smiling. I missed both of them so much. Willow was still in the states sharing a house with (of all people) Xander, Andrew, and Kennedy. When Buffy found that I wanted to go away to college in Oxford, she gave the house to those guys and now they live there and we live here. We seldom see each other, but we write often and call on special occasions if we can't make it to the airport.

Some other pictures were painted there as well. I had Xander and Ayna hugging and I had one of Giles and Buffy standing there smiling. But if you scooted the wardrobe further away from the wall you could see a lone figure staring back at you in perfect representation of my own 'Captain Peroxide'. The day the Council bought this apartment for Buffy and me, I had immediately gone in search for a place to put up a picture of the guy who had always been a hero to me. But then I thought; I had no picture of him, so everyday of that week I sketched and erased and redrew figures of him until my memory was about to explode. But finally, finally one picture was perfect. And I painted it onto the wall so that I would never forget him.

So after I cleaned the rest of the house, and it was getting close to lunch, I decided to put up some decorations that we already had just to get things going a little quicker. I had decided on a strictly enforced costume party, and my costume was going to be a surprise. But the decorations were not going to be put up by themselves; so I began to put up some festive happies. We already had three pumpkins and two were already cut with funny faces in them and ready to be lit from within. I put these out on the counter so that they would be seen when our guests started arriving at 9:00. Then I had to rope twinkle-lights up the stairs and over the door and around the windows. Good thing I always thought it was fun decorating for parties, because otherwise I would have chunked the blasted lights in the dumpster and made Buffy fish 'em out with her teeth! But finally it was finished. Now all we needed was the pumpkins Buff would bring and the sustenance that everyone would be pitching in with.

After a hard day's decorating I decided to treat myself to a long steamy bubble bath and light some candles with a glass of _vino_. Red wine was my favorite because of its deep fluid perfume. What better way to relax? Having a bath on the second floor was one of my favorite things to so considering it was a personal undisturbed getaway where I could wallow and get all pruny in my thoughts. I dazed off and began to let myself drift in the water as thoughts of the past rushed over me.

_'NO_!' I shouted. I sat up, upsetting the water viciously, and gasped my head in my hands. I opened my eyes to notice that all the bubbles had fuzzed out and now the water had turned cold and clouded. I was remembering the last time I had seen him. But I willed myself to clam and not to think about Spike striding into the Sunnydale High full of champion confidence and never striding out again. But I wouldn't let myself think about that. I quickly blew out the candles and unplugged the drain. I didn't really feel like turning on the lights, so I dried off in the dark and splashed cool water on my face. Then I heard a knock at the front door. I looked at the red digits the clock was searing from the corner of the bathroom that said 6:30pm. _Oh no! Buffy was supposed to be home early afternoon! She's probably gone shopping again and has too many boxes to carry and can't get her keys out to unlock the door_!

"Coming!" I yelled down the stairs. And since I didn't bring anything into the bathroom I was glad to find Buffy had left her grey robe hanging on the back of the door peg. I grabbed it and a hand towel to ring out my dripping hair as I ran to open the front door for her.

"Did you forget you keys again, or have you been shopping." I yelled as I lunged to open the locked door. I tugged on the door with one hand and squeezed my hair with another.

"Trick or treat, luv."


	2. Chapter 2

Recognition 2

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'

I couldn't slam the door fast enough.

_No! this can't be true. Dawn you're going insane. His Dead! Totally dead. Not just a little bit undead, but dead!_

I wrenched the door open and threw myself at Spike and laughing.

"You're _so_ dead, mister!" and I tackled the last person I thought I would ever see again.

"Well" he said while trying not to be toppled over. "I'm glad to see you too, pet."

I was so overcome with sheer joy that I couldn't contain it even a little bit. I just started giving him adorable sister-ly kisses all over his cheeks and forehead! I was so elated that he wasn't dead and that he was standing on my front doorstep right her and now!

"Careful, luv. Be glad I can't breathe; otherwise you would be choking me." and he laughed! He actually laughed! After years of nothing, this was _something_! He actually laughed!

"Oh, oh dear. I'm sorry." I tried to loosen my death-grip, but found that my arms wouldn't obey me and stayed locked around his neck. Spike's coldness of body came as the most wonderful comfort to me. I could have stayed right where I was for the next eight weeks!

"You're warm, luv." He said trying to balance himself fully.

"Oh" I regained my footing and went to pick up the towel that I had thrown on the cement steps. "Baths 'll do that to ya."

We both looked at each other for a moment or two, but then something leaped and did a triple axle with a sloppy landing inside my stomach and I had to look away.

"You gonna invite me in, Nibblet?"

"I'm still thinking about it." I said with a smirk and grabbed a handful of leather duster and yanked him side. "Well, you're not getting any older."

"Well, well" he said in his old cocky voice. Oh how I missed that voice. I had dreamed so many nights of that voice but never thought I'd _ever_ hear it again.

_Oh blast. I hadn't been paying attention and he just said something_.

"Oh sorry, I wasn't …um…"

"…Listening. Yes I can see that."

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I said, nice robe."

"Oh." I blushed. I suddenly remembered that not only was this Buffy's robe, but it was the robe that certain unspeakable things happened in. "Yeah it's Buffy's"

"I know, pet."

_What a stupid thing to say Dawn! Way to go_.

"Yes…well. I'll just go get changed then." and I was about to turn and leave when Spike stopped me by saying:

"Grey's a nice color on you, pet. Don't change on my account."

But when I turned to look in his eyes I found that he was not looking at me but around at the apartment. And did I detect the slightest smile? No, must have been the light because I had forgotten to turn the house lights on and it was getting dark.

He turned back to me and began to speak. It took me a second to comprehend that what he was saying was English and that he was asking me another question. I jolted back to the present when he raised a thick eyebrow at me.

"Oh yes. We are having a party. Ha! Yes. I was decorating and …um… ha…" _think of something Dawn_! "Drink?" _well that's something_.

"Course, luv. Got anything good here?" he asked and I could tell he was sniffing around. I smiled at him and headed into the laundry room with him quietly on my heels.

I kept turning over my shoulder just to look at him and make sure that I wouldn't wake up at any moment with cold waters, low burning candles, and a half full glass of _Pinot Noir_. He merely strutted behind me with his easy grace and kept pace. I nearly ran into the door frame if I hadn't turned around a split second before to side track the immoveable object that would have broken my nose. I covered it nicely by grabbing hold of it and swinging myself around into the other room and pulling the small refrigerator door open and smiled brightly at him.

"Nice trick. But this is just an icebox." He raised that brow again at me. I thought that if he did that again I just might have to tackle him again drown him in sister-ly kisses once more! But until then I should restrain myself.

"Yes I know it looks like a plain, measly, ol' icebox. But behind it…" I grabbed and pulled hard on the upper part and it gave way to show three cold jars and a few packets of red substance.

"Ah." He exclaimed, leaning against the door frame, cool as a cucumber. "Keep it for the kiddies?"

"Well, sometimes I get hungry." We both smiled at that. Well, to be totally honest, I smiled and he did that amazing like smirk-tilt-the-head-…and-I'm-gonna-stop-there kind of…thing.

"You get the bottles and I'll get the glasses." I said and turned with a bounce in my step to retrieve two large wine glasses saved just for this occasion.


	3. Cries and Costumes

:Cries and Costumes:

The kitchen table was decorated with plates and platters and even a punch bowl with little grapes etched into the outside of it. So I thought better and decided to bring the glasses into the living so we could sit on the couch and talk.

I saw Spike return from the laundry room and he followed me onto the couches holding his bottled liquor and scoping out the place. I hadn't really gotten a good look at him yet, so I took advantage of his scoping and found that though it was the same Spike (same smirk, same eyes, same duster and boots, even same cocky jaunt and way of speech) he had changed somehow. His face was less…I didn't really know what to call it.

"You're staring again, luv." He'd caught me, blast. I thought I was being sneaky. I had to cover it quickly.

"I'm just wondering if I'm the only one drinking here?" I tried to crack a smile.

"Oh right. You have to glasses, dear?"

"Quite right. Here you are my good sir." And he poured himself a glass and then took hold of mine and my bottle of red wine and poured it for me.

"Why thank you." I so wish that I was sixteen again and could high five him, but alas, I had to resort to the elegant crossing of the legs and a slight toss of the hair. Maybe I was laying it on too thick…but what it was I didn't quite know. I chanced a look at him and found that he was enjoying his drink quite immensely because I could tell he savored each taste he took. Personally, I had wine earlier that day and I had to be careful, or otherwise I might do something entirely too stupid for my own good. But, on the other hand, I could always blame whatever I did on the drink's effects and no one would be the wiser.

I found then that it was not so awkward for me anymore. I could sit there in total quiet and not feel as if I had to keep him entertained… … Yeah Right! I was bursting at the seams! I had to ask him a billion questions! Where, when, why, how! But no, I had to play it cool. I had to let the aura of the Spike sink into me once more before I would rag him for answers. So it was a startle when he spoke.

"So…you have probably wondered where I have been lately, huh pet." he began suddenly. I didn't quite know what to say or how to answer that; I found myself staring again.

"You ought to be careful with your stares, luv, someone might think you aren't quite right." Blast! I was doing it again and again and again! What was wrong with me? Well, it's not everyday you meet a phantom from your past. That just sounded like a good excuse to ease the conscience.

"Well, Buffy and I had heard rumors about Angel and some new guy. And then something that sounded like an Apocalypse. But we never really found out for sure. I always wondered what would happen to you since the whole soul thing happened." I paused to try and slow my breath and beating heart that threatened to rip out and swallow Spike whole. I turned to look at him, and it shocked me when I found he was looking directly into my eyes. He held me there like a pin to a butterfly, and I had no will of my own to break free.

"I missed you."

He took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting this to come from those perfect lips as he stared into my eyes as if every word (well all three of them) were absobloodylutely true.

I had to wrench my gaze away from his and suddenly found that my left pointer finger was extremely jagged and that it must be chewed upon.

"Did you hear me…Dawn?" My head sprang up at the sound of my name and the uneven fingernail was left to its own devices.

"Uh… well...I"

Just then the front door opened and the sound of keys thuncked on the counter top.

"Hey Dawnie. Oh the decorations look fantastic! I found some…" but Buffy broke off before she could finish.

Spike moved so fast I didn't even blink! He was up and striding across the room to envelope my big sister in a vice-like embrace. You know the kind that only _he_ gives. And it only took another blink to see tears pouring down Buffy's stunned face and watch her arms fling about his neck to hug him back.

I didn't quite know what to do. Should I get up and leave and let them have their privacy, or should I just stay very still and hope they don't notice me? You know, lil'bit watching older'Buff clinging to the bad'ol'vamp…that'll stay with ya awhile. After about thirty seconds I decided that changing into clothes would be quite good and made to make a brake for the stairs. But just as I tried to slip past the both of them Spike jettisoned a strong arm and wrapped me in between them. One big vice-like hug. It was sorta' a downer though because I was wishing for a hug from him just for me. I knew suddenly that I was the 'Lil'Bit' and that Spike had always wanted Buffy's bits! Man! That could make a girl go extremely jealous, even of her own sister. But hey! Who am I kidding? It's always been that way, and it always will be that way. I'll never outgrow the Nibblet stage to either of them. Just the thought of it made me want to drown in my wine glass and never come out again. Finally, Buffy pulled away and started rambling on with all the questions that I wanted to ask. He gave his whole and utter attention to her as she spoke and sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. I took this as a suitable time to bow out and start to get ready for the guests that would be here in a little over an hour. I silently crept up the stairs and began thinking about what would happen later that night.

I opened my attic door with a loud CREEEEK and walked over to the bed where lay my costume. I touched the clothes with almost awe. The black t-shirt, the black jeans with a silver buckled belt ready to be buckled. With the clunky boots and silver necklace laying off to the side. And there spread out in the middle of the bed lay the leather duster that I had scrimped and saved every last pound until I could buy it. I even had a beat up looking read button down that I asked Xander if I could 'barrow' before we left Sunnydale. I had made up my mind that this year I was going to _my_ costume party dressed as my hero. I hadn't told Buffy yet; even the shirt and jeans still had their price tags on them just in case she broke down into a puddle of slayer. I finally convinced myself that this would be the best costume I could ever have the honor of appearing in since my days as a clown when I was two! (Man I hated that nose I had to wear. If it was up to me I would have thrown it to the fishes) But now—now that he _was_ back, I found I couldn't bring myself to wear it. So I just stood there and wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the clothes and began to cry. I can't really explain all the reasons why I cried, but I did. I guess it was the whole 'having dead friend not be dead thrust upon them' thing that started it all.

I turned around when I heard the door CREEEK itself open and there stood Buffy all puffy eyed and sniffing while she smiled at me from across the room.

"Hey." she squeeked.

"Hey." I answered her.

"What'cha up to? Gettin' ready for tonight?" she walked over to where I was and put an arm around me.

"Well, kind of." I didn't really know what to say. Then Buffy looked down at my bed and stopped rubbing my back with the palm of her hand.

"Is this…is this what you are planning on…"

"On wearing tonight? Yes it _was_."

"Was?" she questioned.

"Yes, was. I can't do it anymore. Not that he's come back. It would be like dressing up as Superman and having him walk through you front door! No, no, not even that embarrassing… it's WORSE! It's like dressing up like Spike and he's HERE!" I was so angry at myself for having followed a childish whim and making up this costume.

"He's gonna think I've gone bloody insane, Buff!"

She whirled me around to face her.

"No he won't, Dawn. If anything he'd be glad to have a twin for the night. I think it is an excellent idea and _I_ want _you_ to wear it!" she gave me her best puppy-dog eyes and stuck out her lip and batted her lashes.

"Oh _fine_!" I shrugged and picked up the pants. "But I'm warning you, if you tell him before I get down there, I'll stake you _myself_! Now don't keep him waiting. Go down and help him with the decorations. I won't be down there until most everyone is here."

"Oh fine then, leave it all to me huh?" and we both laughed as she made her way to the door. I bent over to pick up the rest of the clothes and take them to the second floor bathroom when Buffy turned around with serious eyes.

"What is it Buff?" I was concerned. She seemed not to want to say whatever was on her mind at the moment. But then she looked at me straight in the eyes and asked:

"What did he say when he saw the robe?"

I was shocked. I didn't know what to say. Should I lie and say that he never said anything?

"He said I looked good in grey."

And her lip twisted as I knew she must be remembering that night Spike had tried to force himself onto her. I was suddenly reminded of a certain little speech I had made a little while after that about firing him up if I got the chance. My own mouth twisted just a little bit at the memory. Then she walked out of the room with the door given a closing CREEEK as she exited.


	4. Chapter 4

I would like to say that I don't own anything of Buffy! (unfortunately Joss does and I envy his millions) but the plotline is all mine based roughly on things that are happening in my life at this time.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Thank you to KatrinaLee for being my first EVER reviewer and I would just like to give you this. holds out a tight black t-shirt hand made my authoress that says "Got Spiked" you have officially been dubbed part for the newly resurrected Fang-gang. Claps for you KatrinaLee! And now, on with the story!

And thank you to 'Wolf at Heart' and 'Siriusly Sirius Lily Black'! I lurves you two! And thank you for your reviews!

And also, I would like to let all of my reviewers know that I'm just starting college and I'm trying to write as much as possible. I already have 4 more chapters written but all of them were erased since the hard drive of my computer crashed 2 weeks ago….so I've been trying to re-type it all! So please be patient. I will be putting it all up! I promise! It's also that I have to get all acclimated to this new living style and all. Btu I won't let you down I promise!


	5. In Bathtubs and Through Doors

:In Bathtubs and Through Doors:

I looked into the mirror at my reflection and inspected the ensemble. Clothes—check. Necklace—check. Boots outside the pants—double check. 'Now' I thought to myself 'to wear or not to wear the red shirt…that truly is the question.' I decided that there was nothing to lose, so I pulled the shirt and duster on and did a once over on my make-up. Being the ridiculous person I was, I had even enhanced my checkbones with a little highlight down and some shadow up so that they would look more prominent. Then I grabbed a couple of rings and jammed them down onto my fingers. Hopefully I looked good enough not to scare Spike away. (I could only hope) There was nothing to be done about my hair because of how long it had gotten, so I just left it down. It was a cool night and I knew I wouldn't get too hot anyways.

I could hear the stereo's bass cranked up all the way and the buzz of British accents wafting up the stairs and under the door of the bathroom. The clock blazed 9:15pm and it seemed for a change that most everyone had come early or right on time. I drew in a deep breath and willed my heart to be swallowed back down into my chest instead of my throat. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready to go down stairs dressed like a complete dork! (Not that Spike himself was a dork, of course. But just the fact that I was dressed like _him_!) if I had had my way, I'd have picked Superman in a minute! Just then I heard Buffy knock on the door.

"Dawn? Dawnie? Are you ready yet?" I felt like throwing the bath towel over my head so that no one could see me. At least Buffy knew what it felt like to be invisible. I would give anything for that right now!

"If I say no, do I have to come out?" I was desperate!

"Absolutely not! There are some people here who want to see you and they said that they won't wait another minute. So you'd better get out of that bathroom and play hostess!"

"Who are they?" I was stalling for as much time as I possibly could. But Buffy wasn't buying it. Dang it!

"Find out for yourself!" her voice was fading now and I knew she was going back down the stairs to the party.

I did not have to slightest clue as to who might be wanting to see me so badly. I thought that it might be Robert or his friends come by to say a quick and cheery 'ello', but that seemed improbable since we had broken the relationship off months ago. We were simply better friends—we both knew it and there was no real since in denying it. Besides, I just couldn't force myself to try and spend the rest of my life with someone who didn't know or even try to understand this world like Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies did. Robert just simply couldn't (or wouldn't) comprehend that good and evil didn't always wear white and black. He had laughed at me when I tried to tell him why I had left California to come to Oxford. He said that I was a marvelous storyteller and that I ought to go into English Lit. instead of getting a BFA. He didn't understand that I lived in the grey areas of life. No, no one had ever been though what I had, and I wasn't a girl to settle for the next best thing that came along in life.

Now, after two hours of getting myself all ready and leathered up for tonight, I found that I wasn't at all equipped. Thoughts hurried through my head and began tormenting me about how he would react, how he would walk right out the front door and never be seen again, or how he would hate me forever because of how stupid I looked trying to be the 'Big Bad'. Or worst of all…him deciding that I am stuck forever in 'crush-mode lil'bit' stage for the rest of eternity and all of the afterlife to come. The hiding under the bath towel thing was definitely sounding better by the minute.

_Breathe Dawn, breathe! If you go down there like this you'll scream your head off and run right back up here into the bathroom! At this rate the night will be over before you go and have some fun_!

The little voice in the back of my head wouldn't shut up! So I banged it hard on the bathroom door to will it to be silent.

"AHHHHH!"

A cry was issued from the other side of the door that startled me so badly that I too cried out and sprang away from the door which only caused my to fall into the bathtub rather awkwardly. Then the knob turned slightly, and cautiously the door was opened and a gentleman's head peeped into the room.

"Good Heaven's!" he exclaimed. "Dawn, what on _earth_ are you _doing_ in the _bathtub_!"

I parted the mess of hair that had fallen over to cover my face and looked to see a rather familiar face looking at the puddle of Dawn in the tub. It took me a moment to focus, but then I let out an excited squee of happiness!

"Andrew!" I yelled. He came over and unstuck me from the tub and gave me a very big squnch. "Oh it's so great to see you! What are you doing !"

" Well, you see, we just popped in to see how in God's name you were doing in this dreary ol' place and …"

"Will you please kill the accent, Andrew! You've been doing that since we got on the plane! How many times do I have to tell you that it is ridiculously annoying!" and who else could it have been but Kennedy who walked into the bathroom dressed as a pirate! Andrew froze when she came in and sudden thrust me in between the both of them.

"It's-not-my-fault!-A-demon-made-me-do-it!" and he scrunched his eyes tightly together and shielded his face behind my shoulder. Yeah—like I would protect him of all people…and with my shoulder no less! (oh…fear the shoulder Kennedy!) Goodness! It was great to see them both though. But wait, Kennedy was saying something to me and I wasn't paying attention. Focus Dawn!

"…it's really original and all. Too bad he's down at the bottom of the stairs talking with Cyclops. He should have seen you in the bathtub playing him, I think he would have immensely …"

"Wait…who's downstairs with Spike?" I couldn't think straight.

"Cyclops…oh, it's just Xander. I decided to call him that since he decided to steal my…"

"Xander's downstairs? Here!"

"Yeah. Willow's here too, but she and Buffy are catching.."

"I'll be back!"

All my worries were suddenly gone. No nerves, no butterflies, no Spike on the brain. Just the thought of Willow being here on the same continent as me made me go all happies and I _had_ to see her right away!

Half way down the stairs I ran into a solid dark blockage and nearly fell the rest of the way down! But I regained my footing and shot into the kitchen like a flash where Buffy and Willow stood smiling and touching each other's arms. I stood stock still and couldn't believe my eyes!

"Willow." I breathed.

Her head tossed towards me and she lit up with what looked like utter delight!

"Dawnie! Oh! You're all grown up! Look at you!" she rushed over and enveloped me into the best Willow-hug I'd ever had. She gave great hugs too. Hers were sweer and sincere and made you feel all happies and flowers.

"Willow!" I couldn't think of anything else to say. She pulled away form me to get a good look. But I just stared at her.

"Willow…your hair." I took a lock of it and brought it towards me. It was long and white and…and…and just so…Willow!

"Yeah. It's been happening for quite some time. Slowly at first; but now I'm all white." She smiled and I hugged her again and again.

"And what about you and _your_ new look?" She pulled back and stepped around me with a twisted smirk.

"Seems you've been holding out on us. What great taste you have Dawnie."

And Buffy, Willow, and I laughed. I realized then that Buffy had decided to dress up too. She was dressed in a blue t-shirt with little red shorts and blue tights that looked awfully like the ones I had. She smiled at me and turned around. She had what looked like a red-satin pillow case pinned onto her shirt. I could help but rush forward and give her the biggest sister-hug I could give. And then Buffy lightened the mood by saying, " Well, if this Halloween is anything like a previous one…I'm just glad I could take over the world with Truth, Justice, and the American way." We all laughed. Willow had been filled in on the whole 'Superman vs. Spike' costume ordeal when I had come into the kitchen.

"I think it's a wonderful costume Dawn. It took a lot of thought and time to get all those things together. I'm proud of you." She gave my forehead a little kiss and smiled sweetly.

"Yeah" I began. "This jacket was bloody expensive! It took me since last February to save for it." I smiled and looked down at the toes of my black boots. "I've been eating in on weekends lately."

"This one cost me bloody nothing."

I whirled around to find the 'cool cucumber' leaning lazily on the door post staring at me. I couldn't think of anything to say! Nothing! Not one thing! Nothing! Nothing-nothing-nothing-Nothing! And he just stood there. Appraising me slightly with a twist of the mouth and a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…wu…hu… you see wha' had happen' was…" Way to go smart one! That'll really show 'em.

What else could I do? I took the smartest way out…I ran into Buffy's room and slammed the door!

Okay…so not the most ideal scene I depicted in my mind when and if Spike would ever return to us. I thought of something like …more …refined? Yeah, maybe that was the word… 'refined'. But this sure as heck wasn't! This was me just being plain stupid!

I slid down the backside of the door and put my head in my hands and started to whimper. You know when you want to cry and your hearts want to cry but your stupid thick head won't _let_ you cry! Argh! That's what was happening.

I heard a soft knock down the bottom part of the door. It startled me that someone would some after me so quickly and that that someone would knock so lowly on the door. I didn't think we had any midgets of our acquaintance coming to this particular party? So I reached up behind me and cracked the door open. Letting whoever it was have a chance to speak their peace.

"Luv?" came a soft voice.

I quickly slammed the door and braced it with my hands.

"Too late for theatrics. You've already invited me in."

"There's restrictions on this room Mister!" I couldn't think of anything to say.

"What are you planning, Nibblet? Fire?...or something more creative this time?"

I couldn't help but weakly smile. I cracked the door once more, but only a little. He stuck the forward part of his face through, but not enough so that he could turn and see me.

"C'mon mini-me. I promise I won't laugh. Let me see huh?"

How could I stay cross at him? Here he was, on his hands and knees with his face stuck through the door apologizing (well, in his own way of course) and wanting to see my costume. So I opened the door a little further; just enough so that his slender frame to eek inside the room.

He came through and whipped his leather duster out behind him with a grand flourish. Then he settled himself right next to me against the door to shut it and look across to the part of the room I was staring at. He always knew when to comfort me and when to shut up. I had missed the cool vibes Spike had always sent towards me. And his scent. I still remember it. Buffy always thought that whenever Spike caught her scent hat it was a total turn-off. Personally, I thought it was kinda hot. But that was besides the point. I breathed in Spike's scent as he sat next to me: cigarettes and leather. Something was so comforting about that smell. Sometimes I would catch a hint of it as I walked the streets of Oxford from time to time and I would snap my head in all directions to try and find the source. It was usually some back-alley delinquent who was smoking instead of going to class. It always made my heart hurt when I caught a hint of his smell. I missed him so much. And now, he was here, sitting next to me. It was almost as if my shadow had blown itself around to protect me. Okay…it was getting a little creepy that I was thinking these things…but hey! What is one to do when Spike is sitting right beside you in all his undead-ness-glory-idge? Yeah! That's what I thought!

His head swiveled around to face my profile. He paused a moment until I turned to face him. I flicked my eyes at him and then dropped my gazed to my lap.

"I know…I need to work out again, don't I ?" he chuckled.

I tried to smile, but I think it came out more along the lines of an unpleasant grimace.

"Xander told me about the last time you were doing "push ups"." I used my fingers to emphasize my point with the push-ups and Spike decided there and then to have a fake coughing fit and he whacked himself hard in the chest.

"Oh. That hurts, luv."

And before I could stop myself I replied with, " I wouldn't know if it did or not." After the words were out of my mouth I suddenly realized what it was I had said exactly and I clamped both hands over my mouth with lighting fast reflexes. Spike, I think, didn't know what to think. But it seemed to me that as a last resort, he decided to make his ever famous snarky comments.

"Well, luv…I'm guessing that it's the clothes that are talking, right?" and he wrapped a strong right arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. I still had my hands over my big mouth so my arms were now pinned to myself by Spike's legs that were bent up to his chest.

"_mumble-mumble-hmm-hmm-hm-hm_"

"Sorry Luv. Did you say something?"

I regretfully pulled away from his body and popped my jaw.

"I said" clearing my throat for dramatic effect. "It's good to have you back again." And I stood up before I was tempted to use the 'undead-goodness-and-glory' for a personal recliner for the remainder of the evening.

"Oh is that what you said? For a moment there I thought that I was declaring undying love for myself." And he easily peeled himself from the carpet and stood with a flip of the duster.

"You are undying, so don't get cocky." He eyed me strangely as I said this.

"Cocky?" he stepped a little closer. This threw me off a little to see him stepping closer to me.

"Well…you know. Don't go getting a big head type thing." I swallowed hard when he tilted his head to the left just slightly. What was going on? What was he playing at!

"A big head, Nibblet?"

Oh I wish he would stop moving so close. My knees were up against Buffy's bed and my heart was gathering speed in my larynx.

"Wull…yeah … you know…" he raised hat eyebrow of his and I think my heart tried right there and then to swallow him whole by escaping through my nasal cavity. He stepped closer and now we were boot to boot with my legs up against the bed. It was more uncomfortable than trying to digest those peanut butter and banana quesadillas. It felt like there was flock of flamingos bounding around with sledge-hammers in the pit of my stomach. He inched just a smidge closer and I lost it! The flamingos had whacked me far to hard and I crash-landed on Buffy's bed with a bewildered "ooph" and tried to catch my breath. I suddenly choked and started hacking because I hadn't noticed that I had been holding my breath when I tried to catch it! Spike looked oddly amused and just stood there, towering over me and covering my in his shadow. But I wasn't really thinking about that at the moment because those flamingos had decided to strangle me! And my mind was racing with what embarrassing thing would I do next.

I waved my hand across my face to signal that 'I was fine' and 'yeah just stand there and don't help you soddin'-bloody-git!'.

"That's always a problem." He mused now looking around the room.

"--Cough—What is?—Cough"

"You have to breathe out first, pet." His face brightened into a full smile. I blushed and looked away with another "cough-cough-hack-cough".

After I had recovered from the fit of hacking, I tried to regain my footing. Spike, being the helper that we _all_ know him as (sarcasm people!) offered a hand. Unfortunately I am not the most balanced person in the world (in oh so many ways) and I decided then and there to trip over my 'bloody expensive' coat! Luckily Spike and his "Superhuman Reflexes' caught hold of both my arms to steady me.

"Ow!"

The noise sorta-kinda came out like a warbled 'meow' but I wasn't too concerned with the way it came out because when I looked up I met two astoundingly blue eyes. My breath caught again. (Goodness, this could become a hazard if I wasn't extra careful!)

"Breathe out Nibblet. Breathe out, then in, then out again." He steadied me on my feet and started to laugh…well chuckle really.

Then the door burst open! There stood a dangerously swaying Andrew silhouetted by the bright kitchen lights.

"Andrew?"

It wasn't the strangest thing I'd seen that day, I wasn't sure why he was stationary and blinking at us. Spike leaned over and whispered to me, "Oh, is that his name? I always forget that."

"Yeah. He's the brother of someone I think."

Then suddenly Andrew slurred us back into reality. "Someone punched the spike!"

We stared blankly at each other for a moment or two. Then Spike looked oober confused and turned toward the guy who no one could ever remember his name.

"Who punched me? We've been in this room the whole time and no physical abuse had ensued as of yet." it was a 'bad-boy' kinda confused look I thought. It was sort of endearing. But he caught me staring unabashedly at him with a glazed look in my eye and he merely smirked when I snapped back to reality.

I mumbled under my breath "Yeah, yet…" and he leaned down to my ear to say, "Heard that Nibblet." And I mentally whacked myself for saying it so that he could hear it.

"Well," I thought, "maybe you have some kind of "Spike-bot" of your own now and it punched the Spike?" Spike gave me an evil glare but that just egged me on considering he'd been doing most of the mocking the entire evening. So I was so totally gonna have fun with this!

"You know we could always call this one the "Spike-borg"!" he still didn't look too pleased, so I kept going. "Oo! Or maybe the "Super-Spike"! I'll just go and get the other red-satin pillowcase and some snappy-pins!" Spike turned his head and grimaced.

"You'll do nothing of sort, Trouble-maker!"

I grinned from ear to ear. "Why do you think I'm dressed like you 'Big Bad'?"

"Where's the louis?"

We had both forgotten about Andrew and now he was staring intently between us as if he couldn't quite tell how many of us there really were.

"Who's where?" I asked leaning out from behind Spike to see Andrew standing there all daisy-eyed.

"The Louis! You're supossed to be English and all, gosh! Don't even know what the louis is."

"Do you mean the bloody lou?" spat a bewildered Spike over his shoulderas he turned to stare at Andrew as if he'd grown two more heads on his sholders.

"Uh..yes…rightly so. That one!"

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "It's upstairs where you found me in the bathtub, smart one."

"Oh right. Thanks. Cheerio!" and Andrew tried to grab the door-knob, but stumbled and ended up crawling out of the room while trying to shut it. Spike then moved to face me with a wicked glint in his eyes.

"Bathtub?"

"Oh shut up." I turned and marched straight for the door—then swiveled around to look up at a tailing Spike who halted mere inches from my face.

"Faithful shadow my ass!" and I whacked him before throwing the door open and gleefully storming out.

AN: Thank you to our newest member "Al10xs"! (Hands out "got Spiked" t-shirt and pats head of newest victim) thank you for your review! I do appreciate it immensely! I hope you liked this chapter. I've been working on it all day so that I could post it tonight. And I do have classes tomorrow, but I'll try and post again depending on my homework load. Give some feedback oh so faithful readers and tell me what you would like to happen! Okay! (thumbs up) Thanks Pets!


	6. A Blipic For your Enjoyment

(Because the Beta Goddess (Heather dearest) is sleeping and the Authoress is in some desperate need of some action)

Authoress is sitting in front of computer screen typing away with click-clicks and tap-taps. Suddenly, Spike struts into the room (you know, the way he does that…really hot and sexy strut-strut-thrust-of-the-hips-cause-I'm-afreakin-sexy-undead-goodness-that-you-simply-must-try type thing). He comes over to the crappy little dorm room desk and sits on the edge of the almost entirely paper-covered corner with a flourish of black duster. The Authoress is still zoned into the screen diligently trying to recover lost files of chapters so that mutinous fans will not have reason to harm her—and she sees nothing of the strutting eye-candy. Gently, the eye-candy takes a stack of papers and brushed them over so that he can sit more comfortably. Still she does not move from her crouched position while covered with a mass of fluffy pillows still tapping away in the constant stream of typing and pecking on the small black keys of her laptop. He inched closer, but the engrossed Authoress still does not look up. (Now insert the oober sexy evil smirk that slowly spreads across Spike's narrow features.)

"Pet?" he sang the endearment close to her ear. But still no reaction—simply the echo of typing in the cell-like dorm room.

He would just have to try harder than that. (Insert another snarky grin here.)

Spike slid closer and wrapped a leather clad arm around the lop-sided chair (that indecently hates the Authoress, so when these random spurts of hatred appear—she is thrown back wards to be devoured by the evil Spanish Cockroach "Bernardo") His mouth hovered just moments away from the Authoress' ear and he whispered something meant only for her.

In an instant the Authoress' eyes sprang open and her back snapped board straight! All of the fluffy pillows were discarded onto the floor.

"Thought that'd get your attention, Pet." Chuckled a very smug and rather self satisfied Spike. Then she turned rather evil daggers towards the leathered Vampire and stood up so that she could just meet his height when he sat down.

"That was low blood-boy." Her voice was steady but he could sense her heart beating rather urgently and quite unsteady. He chanced to lean a little closer to the perturbed girl standing straight as an arrow in front of him.

"You just don't want to admit that you enjoyed it." (Insert raise-eyebrow here)

Breathless, the Authoress plops back down into the chair and sighs. So Spike moves a little closer and lets his teeth click next to her cheek. She straightens again and stares directly at the screen in front of her and croaks out "That's so not fair." She didn't even try and hide the warbled-ness at all.

"But, pet, you're not writing fast enough. I'm just trying to get you motivated. You know, speed up the process, luv. As your muse…I reserve many rights. This one is by far my favorite though, I must say."

(Insert evil glare from Authoress)

(Spike puts 'Bad-Boy' pout on)

(Authoress turns back to screen and continues to type seeing as how whenever he puts that face on, she would do _anything_ for him)

Spike then finds that he is being physically neglected and goes to nuzzle the Authoress' neck. This causes her to turn into jelly and goes to join the forlorn fluffy pillows into a puddle of person on the crappy tile floor of the room.

(Spike turns to people who are reading this small entry and types "Works everytime like a charm….pretty much on cue if you will.")

"Goodness!" comes from the floor as a misty-eyed fantress pulls herself up and sits back into the chair. "You're evil." She leers at the undead-glory.

He smiles and merely shrugs "Vampire. I tread on the darkside luv." He looks up at her and smirks.

"I know you have a taste for the darkside luv. I've seen it. Care to show it again?"

And that's when the Authoress stops typing due to the fact that …. Well…. We're just not going to go into that here.

Thank you to all of my reviewers!

KatrinaLee : Yeah! I so totally read at 6 am in the morning. And I have been woken up with freezing cold wash-cloths…not buckets of water though. But it sounds like fun! (throwing the water I mean lol)

Willow-Wiccan: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

All10xs: Thank you thank you! I got the idea from…well…I was thinking of what Dawn would wear for Halloween…and nothing really seemed to fit. Then I had the brilliant idea that since she really is a sentimental person at heart, she'd probably dress-up like someone she cared about! So there, that's what happened.

Wolf.At.Heart.: Thank you, luv! And I do hope to continue writing. I'm taking a college course in writing and I'm hoping that it will give me some tips!

Thanks you guys! And thankyou to all you others who read this. But please review so that I can thank you by name! Tah!

: Blipic to Close Plot Holes:

The rest of the night was pretty much uneventful. Though we all sis have a good laugh at Xander telling us how he decided that he had thought his eye patch was highly overrated and decided on a new magic eye. However, the eye he had purchased was slightly larger than his normal one and was a bright blue color—therefore, making it quite the attention getter. We had a moment when we all went silent while we remembered what happened those four years ago and how he had lost the other eye so viscously. But when he found a catalog in the shop selling magic eyes, it was a look that he said that he dimply couldn't pass up. And Andrew, who had found us back downstairs, said that it reminded him of 'Mad Eye Moody' (and since he was the only Harry Potter guru in the mists, we decided to bypass his "special-ness" and move on in the conversation).

Most of the people at the party I had no idea who (and on occasion—what ) they were/ it looked like a good half of them were loner-goths who only come out on Halloween and hadn't seen the sun since last year. There was a clique standing near the door looking rather unscrupulous with their black clothing and tense faces. Xander turned and nodded his head towards the group and then looked at Spike.

"Friends of yours?" he smirked. Spike rolled his eyes and shook his head while he crossed his arms and tried not to spill the liquid that filled his glass.

"Just because the wankers have blonde hair…"

"I'd say it is more of a… oh what's the word…" Buffy put a finger to her lips as if she was in deep thought.

"Platinum Peroxide?" I suggested with barely masked glee.

"Exactly!" brightened Xander. "And I'll bet they're looking for a new and belov'd 'Captain' right?" his face became solemn and he put his hand over his heart.

Spike smirked and put a hand on Xander's shoulder.

"What a shame it would be wouldn't Whelp?" Xander suddenly looked confused.

"What would?"

That bad-boy glinted I had missed so fervently sparkled back into his eye as he turned to look at Xander willing the contents of his glass to steady.

"Losing your other eye, mate." And a smile coupled with a chuckle let loose from Spike so that even "the Whelp" even had to break a grin at Spike's jest.


	7. Hello to all reviewers

Hello dear reviewers. I know it has been awhile since I've updated….but I can explain! I'm dreadful with computers and most anything that has to do with technology is literally the bane of my existence! Therefore, updating is very slow b/c of the blasted computer problems going on in my dorm. (Grr-Argh to all the techies who have way too much crap for their own good) So this is a note that is hopefully saying that I will be updating ASAP with another chapter (or two if I can swing it) soon. I hope that all is well with everyone! And they had a delightful Labor day Weekend.! Ciao!


	8. Lights and Leaving

Lights and Leaving

After the last of the party members left our apartment, the rest of our merry little party began the long and intense process of cleaning up. I decided that I didn't care to pick up the trash, therefore I set myself to the task of taking down the twinkle-lights that I had put up myself earlier that day. So I shrugged off the leather jacket and red shirt to start pulling down the lights. Strand by strand I began to wind around my waist just to keep things interesting…and so I would trip over them.

"Hey, is has anyone seen Andrew lately?" asked Kennedy from the kitchen.

Everyone took a moment to look up from where they were working to see if a skinny drunken twit was anywhere to be seen.

"Nope!" echoed everyone after a few seconds. It wasn't like anyone would bother with a guy whose name was difficult to remember.

So on went the night of clean up. Well, most of it was clean up, the other half was goofing around while listening to the loud speakers pour out silly music. I got myself tangled in the twinkle lights and when Xander tried to be the Super Hero and get me out he only twisted himself up worse than I had! So it was a group effort to untangle the both of us.

It was only until the next morning that we found poor Andrew passed out in the bathtub of the second floor.

"Goodmorning sleepy-head." Whispered Buffy as she held out a glass of bubbling fizz towards the rather green looking Andrew.

"Oh please don't raise your voice. I think someone ran over my head and I'm still conscience." With one hand he covered his eyes and with the other reached for the glass.

"Careful not to spill it." Warned Buffy as she got up and turned for the door. "You had better hurry up and shower before the others wake up and kick you out."

She was only met with a loud groan and a load THUD as Andrew had rolled himself out of the tub and over the side to land face down on the tile floor.

"You know he's going to lie there all day Buff." I chided my older sister as we made our way down stairs.

"No he won't." she smiled.

"Oh and how do you know that?" I scrutinized her carefully with a growing smile teasing at the corners of my mouth.

"I had Willow whip up a pretty batch of happy-sleepies this morning." She was still smiling to herself.

"So what does that mean, oh wondrous Buffy?"

"It means that all we have to do is drag him out of the bathroom in about five minutes and put him on the couch in the second floor guestroom! That way he can sleep it off and not be in the way." She was beaming at her brilliants of handling the situation.

"So what are we keeping him out of the way for? If this lowly mortal can ask?" I made a funny face towards her and she laughed.

"Oh Dawn, I thought we would discuss us going back to Sunnydale?"


End file.
